ALL MOD CONS - HOME STYLING 1950s & 1960s

All Modern Conveniences (All Mod Cons) is a six-part documentary that chronicles the rise of the modern age of British home styling; from furniture, appliances, gardening and more. Britain slowly came out of the gloom of World War II and developed a desire for all things new and exciting, and quickly adopted their own version of the American "Populuxe" consumer culture and aesthetic. Wonderful vintage film footage of the "newest" styles, gadgets and furnishings.

Note: This title comes on two discs.

THE D.I.Y. PIONEERS
The post-war years led to a boom in home ownership and subsequently a generation of enthusiastic do-it-yourself home improvers. This episode chronicles how the DIY movement transformed the interiors of British homes.

EVER SO CONTEMPORARY
In the 1950s walls were knocked down, windows enlarged and open-plan living rooms were constructed as an antidote to post-war gloom. The color, light and space of the "contemporary look" changed the way that British people lived forever.

JUST SWITCH ON
After World War II, when rationing ended, the British consumer society was born. For the first time Britons were able to fill their homes with an array of modern push-button, automatic electrical appliances.

THE PAD
In the 1960s, a whole generation let their imaginations run wild to break all the rules of interior design, liberating themselves from the formality of their parents' lifestyles. The focus was on fun, with revolutionary ideas such as paper chairs, inflatable furniture and waterbeds. The psychedelia and the hippie movement heralded the arrival of way-out influences.

THE OUTSIDE ROOM
The end of World War II marked a shift away from the practical nature of horticulture stressed by the Dig for Victory campaign, and once again flowers bloomed in Britain's domestic gardens. As gardens became more decorative, magazines and radio program turned their attention to the new hobby, while labor-saving devices and garden centers helped make the garden a place to relax in and enjoy.

YESTERDAY ONCE MORE
The final program in the series looks at why the younger generation became obsessed with furniture and architecture from the past. In the 1950s, people were desperate to be modern and old attitudes were cast away. But, during the later 1960s, objects thrown out as junk by previous generations were suddenly in demand for the young and fashionable. The rage for nostalgia was on.

ALL MOD CONS - 1950s & 1960s HOME STYLING documentary on DVD!

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Unseen glimpses of what became the future Review by Pete

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This collection of British documentary material has six episodes; the most effective for me were "Ever So Contemporary" and "The Pad", in which you can almost feel society straining to break out of the privations of depression and war. The later specific "Mod" movement had a similar meaning for the new generation just going to work in their late teens and early 20's around 1960, attempting "clean living under difficult circumstances" as many have said of that day. That later meaning emerged from the '50s discoveries of new methods, conveniences and gadgets described by this disc. (Posted on 3/9/18)